Sasunarusasu - All the Unsaid Things
by Animaid101
Summary: A tribute to Masashi Kishimo by filling in some gaps and showing another view on the Naruto ending and the events after that, a Sasunaru view. YAOI, BL, Shounen Ai implied. Spoilers. Rated T. Naruto copyright Masashi Kishimoto, drawing copyright Satosanteru, fanfiction copyright me.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a tribute to Masashi Kishimoto who gave us 15 years of happiness, tragedy and great feelings including SasuNaru moments by his wonderful series "Naruto"._

 _To deal with all the rushed events in the last 2 chapters I thought of a realistic scenario why everything may have developed this way up to chapter 700 and above. It's seen under the aspect of Sasunaru and contains Shounen Ai (boy's love), but no Yaoi. It's mostly about feelings, so who's looking for erotic scenes is wrong here. Also people who don't like Sasunaru and BL shouldn't read this._

 _Who doesn't want spoilers about the last chapters shouldn't read this as well (Gee, is there now anyone left who'll read it? XD)_

 _To all the others:_

 _Be prepared for sadness and pain, hold your handkerchiefs in direct grasp and please don't hate me! This is just a possible explanation I thought of, it claims not to be real, though it could be._

* * *

After the fight, when we laid there on the cold stone, not able to move, our blood flowing together, uniting to one stream of life, like it should have been from the very beginning, all I could think of was: He kept his word, we'll die together.

And I was happy about that.

Naruto above all the other persons in my life was the only one who never disappointed me, the only one who always kept his word, who cared for me despite of any commands or common sense. He stood by my side in my darkest moments and nothing I said or did could drive him away from me. No matter how hard I tried. And I tried really hard.

It's just fair that we should be united in death now like we never were able to be in life.

That's what I thought... but it came differently.

We survived.

I stood in front of a door and hesitated. It was _his_ door _._ They had divided the hospital in two different areas, one for the citizens of Konoha and the other for outsiders. Just to be on the safe side.

Addingly _my_ room was put under strict custody. I was one of the bad guys after all and nothing my old teammates felt and said could change anything about it. It didn't matter for me anyway. Neither guards nor barriers could keep me from going where I wanted to. I entered his room.

He still was sleeping in his characteristically dumb open-mouth-way while snoring and drooling his saliva all over his pillow. The only thing that missed to remind me of old times was his ridiculous nightcap with felt-eyes patched on it. Naruto never felt too embarrassed to make himself the target of merciless mockery. He always stood up to his obnoxious preferences. This childish idiot.

So loveable.

I approached further to his bed and as if he'd sensed me, he started to produce choking noises, turned from right to left and finally opened his amazing blue eyes.

"Naah, Sasuke. Watcha doin'? Can't sleep?"

"Hn."

He sat up, yawned, and then showed me his broadest grin he was capable of. You wouldn't think this idiot just had lost his right arm.

"You should go train with me then.", he suggested all fired up.

"Are you dumbminded? Didn't you suffer enough from our last encounter?"

"Naa, I'm almost as good as new. Don't know why they still keep me here. ...and also it's just for fun this time."

"I need a rest." I sat down on the edge of his bed, mustering him from top to toe. Was it the Kyuubi that provided him with all this energy or was it his own genuine ability? Whatever the reason, it was amazing. _He_ was amazing.

He looked at me in a thoughtful way.

"Sasuke, are you mad at me because I... uhm, made you lose your arm?"

I snorted. "I could ask you the same, idiot."

He tried to scratch his head. It made me feel guilty when he, in his first attempt, raised the stump of his right arm, just to remember that there was nothing left with which he could reach his top. He shrugged and clumsily used his left arm instead, smiling like the carefree idiot he was.

I looked away since I no longer could bear the pain of the thought that I had brought all that damage over him and myself.

"Do you... do you regret it, Naruto?" I murmured, persistently fixating my eyes on the floor.

"I mean..., chasing after me all these years and finally harvesting... this."

There was a moment of silence between us. I heard nothing but the pounding of my heart and the light wind blowing outside.

"No.", he confirmed straightly after a short while, though to me it had seemed like half an eternity.

"Hell, you're back, Sasuke!" He excitedly hugged me with his left arm. "What's an arm for it in exchange? It's nothing!"

I heavily gulped on his words. The closeness to his body made me feel uneasy and I pushed him off. He looked at me as if I had punched him in his face.

"What's the matter, Sasuke?"

The irritation in his eyes made me sick, all of this here did. Why was he so happy? He should hate me. I definitely hated me, so why didn't he do the same?

Though I had given in to his plead to go on living, back then on the stone, I hadn't forgotten about the things I had done to come this far. All the things I had done to him...

I clenched my fist.

"Did... did I do anything wrong?" His blue eyes showed uncertainty and slight signs of guilt.

"HA!" I couldn't but cry out at this unbelievably silly question.

"Aren't you aware of the fact that I tried to kill you?" I shouted.

"Sure." He didn't seem to care.

"And aren't you afraid I'd try it again?"

"Do you?" There was neither fear nor nervousness in his voice, just curiosity.

I seriously got mad about that.

"What if?" I snapped back. "What if I just lulled you in by my words and in reality waited for a chance to complete my goal?"

I brought myself closer to him and whispered in his ear: "What if I decided to kill you _now_?"

He shivered, which made me feel kind of satisfied. He had to face the danger which I still represented for him, he had to become aware that I wasn't his fluffy comrade from 3 years before. He had to kill me if he wanted to be secure. Either that or...

He snickered. I looked up in irritation.

"Ahahaha, Sasuke that tickles. Don't joke around." He gently pushed me away. So easily, This... unbelievable idiot.

"MORON!" I shouted. "I'm NOT joking! Just look at me! How can you even _think_ I'm joking?"

He looked at me and frowned. " _How_ , you ask... Well, you're still talking, aren't you?"

This reply made me speechless for a moment.

"If you really wanted to kill me, you would have done it the moment you entered my room, when I was sleeping and defenseless. Ne Sasuke? You'd never let a proper opportunity pass by." He smiled.

I was stunned. How? How could he look through me? Why? Why, damn him! WHY?!

My composure collapsed like a paper work in the midst of monsoon. I broke down, holding a hand over my stomach and against my will tears ran down my face.

"Why can't you just kill me, Naruto?", I sobbed. "Damn you, why can't you even hate me, idiot? Everybody else does, so why not you?"

"Because...", he hesitated. "...I kind of feel what you feel, Sasuke." He scratched his head and a slight blush appeared on his face.

"Come on, don't let me repeat myself, haha. We already spoke about it." He was so embarrassed, he couldn't look straight at me anymore. The blush on his face was adorable, but I couldn't hold my look at him. I felt too guilty, so I stared down on the floor and like in a cramp desperately clenched my fist in the sheets of his bed. He laid his hand over mine and this simple gesture of sympathy let me shake up from my self-pity! Why could he be so soothing to someone who had hurt him in such a bad way?

"Naruto..." I spoke as if I had a lump in my throat. "I..." I grabbed his hand and brought my face near to his.

"Naruto, could you imagine to..." My voice trembled and my lips almost brushed his skin. My eyes got blurry like in a Genjutsu, I gazed at him as if he was the only person existing in this world and at that moment it really seemed like that. Even _he_ could feel the tension building up between us. He started to fidget.

"Eeeeh? S..sasuke? Wh...what are you doing? You're..." He was sweating heavily. "You're not trying to... ehehe, k..kiss me now, are you?" His eyes showed panick and disbelief.

So, it seemed I already found the answer to my unspoken question. It was sobering me like a cold shower,

"No." I drew back my hand abruptly and turned away.

"Wh..what did you want to ask me?"

"Nothing."

"But you just started to..."  
"It was nothing, I said."

A moment of glum silence.

"Are you... afraid of the future, because... of your past?"

I didn't answer, I... couldn't. He always hit bulls-eye and yet he didn't guess it properly this time. Maybe he just didn't _want_ to.

"Come on, Sasuke, forget about that. You can start a new life now."

"I don't think so." My voice was steady again, as I intended. "They'll probably execute me for treason or, even worse, put me in jail for the rest of my life. Personally I'd prefer a quick execution."

"Are you NUTS?!" Naruto still was a loud one. "How can you even THINK of such a weird idea?!They'll never do something like that! You saved our asses, maaan, you..."

"I left the village, Naruto." Now my voice was icy, which made him shut his trap. Finally.

"I almost killed you when you tried to 'save me', did you forget?"

"But... that was..."

"I teamed up with Orochimaru, who killed the Third amongst a lot of other people. I did it out of my own free will, just for my benefit, I didn't care about betraying everyone and everything I always believed in. I became a soulless existence on the way into damnation. I committed unimaginable crimes just in order to gain more power."

"But... but you killed him in the end, didn't you?"

I glared at him. "For my own selfish reasons."

"Even though..."

"I killed my brother Itachi, the only remaining Uchiha except me. My brother who loved me like no other person in this world and suffered the fate of a traitor just in order to protect me."

"You couldn't know about that! He killed your whole family! You couldn't know he was forced to do it and put up an act on you."

"You're right, I couldn't know. But when I learned about the truth I planned to destroy Konoha and kill everyone I ever knew, especially _you_ , Naruto."

"I know, I..."

"I raided the meeting of the 5 Kages, attacked the Raikage and crippled him, not to speak of capturing Bee-san and almost causing his death before that."

"But Bee isn't..."

"I killed Danzo, the protector of Konoha. Afterward I tried to kill Sakura, Kakashi and you. And last but not least I was determined to kill all the Kages along with everybody standing in my way. I longed to become a ruthless tyrant, trying to kill you again Naruto. And the outcome of it all when you tried to stop me was you losing your arm and almost dying. Blood and murder all along my way. That's what my life is. Nothing can change that, not even saving the world."

Naruto stared down, he clenched his fist in his blanket and was heavily shaking. Fine. He finally recognized the situation. I stood up.

"I will not wait for them Naruto. As poor as my life has become, I'd like to put it to an end by myself. This is my good bye to you forever. I thought I'd owe you that, before I..."

"Shut up!" Naruto's voice was dark and low. I never before have heard a tone like this coming out of his throat.

"I know it won't make up for the loss of your arm, Naruto, but at least my death will..."

"I said, SHUT THE HELL UP!" He jumped out of his bed and tackled me down. His fist met my chin the hard way. I was surprised, too surprised to dodge or resist.

"YOU IDIOT!" he shouted while punching my ribs. "I already forgave you, bastard! Didn't you listen back then?" Another punch met my stomach and I groaned. "Do I really have to rip off your other arm too, to bring some sense into your sick emo-mind?" Kneeling on me and pinning me down he placed a heavy punch on my right shoulder and it felt as if it was about to break.

"Naruto!" I yelled. "Stop it!"

He glared at me with red eyes and I seriously thought the Kyuubi had taken him over. Oh, well, just like old times...

"If you continue like that, you'll just cripple me." I yelled angrily. "If you mean it go for my throat, idiot! Come on, kill me! I know you want it."

He froze in his movement. Just as if a movie was suddenly put on standby. It was somehow... eerie. It shouldn't be possible for a human to stop in their moves like this. Not even for a Shinobi.

But nevertheless it was real.

His fist sunk down as did his shoulders, he was heavily shaking and when something wet dropped on my face I finally got aware that he was crying. Naruto was crying!

"Why?", he sobbed. "I thought I had punched some sense into you, back then. My arm, your arm, destroying the valley, almost dying, was it all in vain?" He wiped away his tears.

"Why do you always change your mind?" He stared at me angrily. "Damn you Uchiha! You're no better than a girl who can't decide for a pair of shoes!"

"HUH?" I gasped. "A... a girl who can't decide for a pair of shoes? Pardon? You seriously compare me to a _girl picking out shoes_?"

"AND WHY NOT?", he snapped back. "If you behave like one you deserve no better!"

"You take that back!"

"NO!"

I stared at him with wide eyes, he pouted back and suddenly we both started to laugh.

It was so ridiculous. Here I was, determined to die for my sins and just a simple tease by Naruto brought me out of it and let me fall into old, childish behaviour. I felt so pathetic. Even the thought of dying felt pathetic now. My death would just cause him more pain. It wouldn't make up for anything at all.

I was useless. I had to laugh about my pitiful self.

Nevertheless I was _no_ _girl!_

"You better don't ask me for a date now.", I barked out between cackle and guffaw.

"Gross, Uchiha! As if _you'd_ be my type." Between his laughs he tried to make a disgusted grimasse but failed. "

Though I can imagine you'd look rather cute in a skirt." He snorted and rolled on the floor.

That bastard! I glared at him, but couldn't keep it up for long. His laugh was infectious.

"You're the one to tell." I giggled. "I just say 'Sexy No Jutsu'. Your boobs were even bigger than Sakura's."

"What, you looked at my boobs? Pervert!" This time his tears were caused by laughter. He wiped them away, making weird, grunting noises.

"I couldn't avoid it as much as I tried. They were blocking the way." I couldn't stop laughing nor did Naruto. He held his sides and snapped for air.

"Next time you want to kill me, bring a sword and don't make me die of laughter.", he pressed out between his snaps fo air. "It's too painful to die that way and also unworthy for a Shinobi."

"Hn, as if _I_ started comparing me to a girl."

" _You_ started the _crap_ , after all."

I took in deep breathes, my laughing reduced to a faint snickering and finally I calmed down. We both did.

"Yeah, I assume this was kind of... a bad idea."

"Your worst so far!" He nodded.

I looked away, a bit embarrassed. How could he always bring me to see things _his_ way?

"Will you stand up, please? I know my torso feels comfortable, but it's really not suited as a longterm seat."

"Oh?" he placed his full weight on me. "I don't know, I feel quite comfty and you can't run away like this." He made a smug face. I punched him off and sat up.

"Don't get so full of yourself. I still could kill you without even catching for another breath."

"Yeah, right that's exactly why you were lying beneath me!"

"Shut up, dobe! Irony doesn't suit you, That'd be _my_ line."

"You lost them all when you ran away."

"Idiot."

"Bastard."

We smirked at each other and raised.

"Are you hurt?", he asked me.

"No more than you are, idiot."

"Ha, I think I broke you at least a rib or two."

"You probably were dreaming."

"I heard them crunching."

"Maybe it was the sound of your knuckles breaking?"

"Sasuke, you bastard, you don't have to play the tough guy. Now show me your wounds!" He grabbed for my shirt, but I dodged him.

"What for? To satisfy your curiosity? Never saw a real man's naked chest?"

"Yeah, sure, maybe I want to check out your boobs. All girls have some, don't they? Oww!"

I punched him.

"Why did you do that Sasuke? That was nasty!"

"You know why."

"Ah, whatever! Go die if you like to. What do I even care?" He turned and threw himself onto his bed. "All this struggling made me extremely hungry and since I have nothing to eat, I'll go to sleep again. You should do the same, bastard."

Right. As if I could sleep now.

But I just kept silent and watched him going to bed. No more than a minute after he placed his head on the pillow he fell asleep. This lucky moron. He always has been like this. I sighed and watched him breathing calmly. He looked so peaceful while sleeping. He opened his mouth and drooled on his pillow. How could he be so carefree? Didn't we just had a serious fight?

I approached his bed and stared at him. He didn't seem to sense me. A low grunt escaped his throat. He seemed deeply asleep. So defenseless, this idiot. I looked into his face and was tempted to ruffle his hair, but I didn't do it. I reminded his panicked face when I tried to confess to him. Naruto seemed oblivious to my true feelings. Whether he really was or just put up an act, it didn't change anything about his unwillingness to accept the truth. He'd never reciprocate my feelings. I'd never hear the words 'I love you' coming out of his mouth. He'd never be mine.

The thought let me almost tear up since it left me no other chance than getting rid of this problem. Everything inside me rebelled against it and yet I had to do it. I took a look on him and burnt the image into my mind. He'd always look like that for me. Always. I fumbled my clothes and felt for a special item. Though I'd brought it with me for a different purposeit had to do now.

I was tempted to stroke over Naruto's face for a last time, but resisted. I could have woken him up and didn't know whether I could have withstood the charm of his mindchanging blue eyes. I felt a sadness inside me worse than on the verge of dying. I'd awfully miss him, that dumbass.

I bent forward and drew my hidden kunai, the one I had stolen from my ward. It was true what Naruto had said, I'd never let a good opportunity go to waste. He really knew me best. My best friend.

With a cold, swishing sound the kunai cut precisely through the part of his body I had aimed for.

I didn't feel anything at all.

 _End of part 1, to be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

I didn't feel sorry. I thought I'd feel something like triumph or guilt, but it wasn't like this. It was his own fault for being so careless around me. It's not that I hadn't warned him. And yet...

A strand of his blond hair fell to my feet. I had been too clumsy with just one hand. I bent to the floor, took it up and put it in my pocket along with the other ones. He'd just have a few strands less in the morning, this idiot. I wondered whether he'd even notice it. Like on cue he started to make loud, snoring sounds now, probably to drive away bears and other hostile beasts. Yeah, sure, because they were found so often around hospitals. I smirked.

I took a seat and watched him sleeping for a while. I couldn't just go. Not yet. I tried to store in my mind as many images of him as possible. I'd need them to remember. Finally I raised and took a last sad look at his cheerful face. I'd really miss that sight.

I sneaked out of the room and returned to my own. Before I entered it I released the wards from my Genjutsu but left them sleeping. There still were a lot of things I was capable of with just one hand. I lay down on my bed and since I wasn't able to sleep I thought about the things that happened before.

Originally I had entered his room to settle things between us and then either die or become his lover, but I managed to fail epically at both. I wasn't in for his awkward reaction to the subject of what we really felt for each other, I thought he'd long before realized it, but he preferred to play dumb and deny it. That made me kind of mad. I felt rejected and worthless, so I became overwhelmed by my feelings of guilt instead. With that bloody debt on my shoulders I wasn't even worth standing beside him, much less love him. So how could I ever expect him to respond to my feelings? Long before I already had decided to erase my shame and sins by dying anyway. It seemed such a noble gesture at that moment. But he made it look ridiculous. Ah well... whatever.

What did I expect? I always knew that Naruto was homophobic and even for me it was hard to accept that I loved him _this_ way. Though same sex relationships always have had their place in our society, they weren't really approved of. It was preferred not to talk about them in public, best to live them secretly.

So no way he'd ever admit his feelings for me were more than just friendship. And he was right. An open relationship would cause nothing but pain for us both. It would ruin our plans for the future and make us outsiders among our own people. Not to speak of having no offspring of our own. I couldn't allow that to happen. Neither for me nor - much more important - for _Naruto_.

Yet I knew I'd always love him. So I soon would have to go away as far as I could. I had to overcome my feelings somehow by bringing more distance between him and me.

I'd just make up some shitty excuse about exploring the world to be of more social use or so. He'd surely swallow that, provided that they wouldn't put me under custody, that is. A severe punishment would be likely, but maybe I could convince them to banish me for a while instead.

Whatever, I didn't care so much about that point. Whether it was jail or travelling, I had to get away from Naruto. But if I had to go, one way or another, I at least wanted a reminder of him. Some strands of his golden hair. I touched them in my pocket and immediately felt Naruto's presence. They were perfect. Maybe I could weave them into a chain. I'd wear it like the chain around my heart. Forever. In secret.

And with that thought in my mind I finally fell asleep.

Sakura made quite a fuss about my new injuries the other morning. Her eyes almost popped out and she stared at me with this painful, concerned look I couldn't bear. She spoke to me in her softest voice possible, a special, humble tone just for me. I never saw her acting like this when she was around Naruto. He usually got punched and scolded when he had hurt himself. I really hated her when she did that. He had enough problems and didn't need _her_ to feel even more miserable.

But at the moment I didn't want to cause her further pain. She had suffered enough because of me. Kakashi hadn't gotten tired to tell me all about it. He definitely read too much Icha Icha, that annoying excuse of a mentor. But at some point his tales of all her endured hardship even reached _my_ heart and let me feel sorry about her. I felt sorry about everything anyway.

I murmured something like "...fell out of my bed..." and Sakura stopped asking though it was unlikely that she really believed me. Whatever, she ceased her unnerving interrogation and started to heal me instead.

By the days passing by a lot of things happened. Neji's funeral and that of the other KIA's* were just a few of them. As a suspected criminal and traitor I wasn't allowed to attend the funeral of a war hero. I didn't care too much about missing it since I never could stand that arrogant bastard Neji anyway. But he had saved Naruto's life, so I had to remember to thank him in the afterlife. Whenever I'd get there, that is. I hadn't the intention to go there anytime soon thanks to Naruto.

The most surprising event was that shortly after the official acts Tsunade retired as Hokage. She stated that becoming ripped apart by her job never had been her intention in the first place and that whatever she'd done so far was enough for the rest of her lifetime. Also she murmured something about "...I'm becoming too old for that sort of shit...", a statement which nobody had expected ever to come from her lips. She denied to have said it afterwards anyway.

However, the council had to decide in a rush for the next Hokage and their choice fell on Kakashi. Though it wasn't surprising, I felt a bit sorry for Naruto. I knew he wanted that post so desperately and he'd have deserved at least a chance in my eyes. The council regarded him with favor, but just as a war hero. They thought Naruto was still too young and reckless to take over such a big responsibility, these old farts! Put that aside, he didn't even have a proper ranking, He had to become Chunin first and then Jounin before even considering him as Hokage. Bullshit! They very well knew Naruto and I were already high above Jounin rank, we didn't need a shitty exam to proof it. Nevertheless I had no doubt Kakashi'd make a rather good Hokage. If he ever ceased reading Icha Icha, that is.

Orochimaru and Kabuto simply had disappeared shortly after the ending of the war. They weren't seen of anymore. I wonder which dream they had when they stayed in Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Anko reappeared after a while. She had no idea what had happened to her, but she behaved a bit differently, not so daring anymore, even her cursemark was gone. Wild rumours about her were spread around, starting by being raped by Orochimaru up to having a secret affair with Iruka-sensei, but I didn't believe any of them since people in general are stupid.

Hell, I didn't even care about these things, but Sakura shot them at me nonstop and there was no escape...

Kakashi had a serious talk to me shortly after he became Hokage. He wanted to confirm I wouldn't go back on my old ways before he'd decide what to do with me.

As if I'd care. Everything I could think of was Naruto, yet I refused to see him. Sakura didn't tell him the truth. She always excused it by the bad medical state I was in. After all I wasn't a Jinchuriki and broken ribs wouldn't heal that fast. He believed it and probably showed some guilt, that idiot.

However, I would have to talk to him eventually, I was pretty much aware of that fact, but tried everything to avoid it as long as possible. I already knew how he'd react.

Kakashi told me that the other Kages had agreed on forgiving my crimes in exchange for my help in the war. He also told me that their decision mainly was influenced by Naruto's plead, who was allowed to speak for my case. Great. Now I even felt more miserable. I assured Kakashi to do everything in my power to make up for my sins but pleaded to have a longer time-out before I'd do so. He wasn't amused at that thought and declined adamantly. I tried almost everything to convince him, even offered my remaining arm and both of my eyes, but I couldn't change his mind. So in the end I had to tell him my true reasons. He wasn't surprised about it at all, that pervert. But he sure was surprised about Naruto's reaction.

He offered to talk to him, but I heavily refused. I think I even threatened to kill him if he ever talked to Naruto about my feelings. Eventually he gave up and left it all to me, like always. He hadn't changed one bit, Hokage or not. Good for me, I guess.

I had to swear an oath of loyalty to him and the village on my eyes, then he'd let me go. I had never expected it to be easy anyway.

When I finally told Naruto I was going away, he got so mad at me that I thought, he'd kill me. Luckily Kakashi and Sakura were there to calm him down, so I didn't get hit again, but he yelled at me in a way that I thought our friendship was broken forever.

After that he didn't show up on me anymore. Though I had achieved what I wanted, I felt hollow inside. The feeling of loss was unbearable, so I packed my things as soon as possible to get away from Konoha and, much more important, from Naruto.

Kakashi and Sakura awaited me to say good bye. Sakura was looking at me with her puppy eyes and asking whether I wouldn't want to wait for my prothetic arm, but I couldn't risk to wait any longer. I had to get away as fast as possible before I rechanged my mind and did something silly. So I told her some shit about exploring the world before I lost the right feeling. It's always amazing which amount of crap people are willing to swallow in order not to destroy their own hopes.

Kakashi was lecturing me about not leaving the right path again, how it was possible to let me go, who'd given their word for me and all this blahblah. I didn't even listen to it, just said something casual, something they both wished to hear. All what I could think of was Naruto, that he wouldn't come to see me wandering off again.

It hurt, but I had to endure it. It was for the better for us both.

Suddenly Sakura came up with a really weird idea, blabbering something about coming with me. Great, just what I needed! When she peeked at me I rejected her request firmly. She sunk together like a balloon losing its air and I instantly regretted my impolite behaviour. I thought of all the pain she had gone through while still hoping for her silly love dreams about me to come true. I couldn't tell her it was hopeless. Hell, even _I_ sometimes have a heart. She had saved my life after all and I really acknowledged her as a comrade. The least I could do was cheering her up a bit. While I still thought of a way how to do it descreetly, my body already moved of its own and I found myself tapping on her big forehead. It was too tempting, I guess. I mumbled some words about "...next time, coming back soon..." and whatever empty phrases came into my mind. It wasn't the worst I could do since I remembered Itachi doing that all the time to me when I still was a kid. My actions expressed my brotherly feelings for her quite well, or so I hoped. Whatever, she started to smile again, so it seemed good enough to me.

I turned my back on the gates of Konoha and, for a second time in my life, left the village. Just that this time I didn't do it as a criminal.

I was really surprised to see Naruto leaning on a tree just a few yards away from the village.

"I didn't think you'd come.", I said. I had difficulties to keep my voice steady, yet I managed somehow.

"Mm." He looked reproachfully at me with a taint of sadness, almost as if he was about to cry.

Full of guilt I stared down to the ground. I didn't have any right to talk this casually to him. He had lost his arm due to my serious attempt to kill him and even though he didn't give up on me. Not one single moment. And all I did in exchange was leaving him behind for a second time.

I looked up again just to see him smirking. He showed a daring face as if he knew about everything going on in the world. Including my sorry self.

Now I was sure he had been acting in that night. He harboured the same feelings for me as I for him, he just denied them. Lying to yourself is so convenient after all.

He rummaged in his pants and I already hoped for a very special good bye present (you always can hope, even when it's foolish, can't you?). When he brought out my old forehead protector I almost had to laugh. But when I touched it, I felt that it was more than a reminder of the past. It was a promise to see each other again some day. I felt a lump in my throat and couldn't say anything.

I just held on it as he did. For a moment I felt united with him. But we couldn't continue standing here forever like 2 idiots. I looked in his eyes and felt something I've never felt before: Hope.

It filled my heart with joy and provided me with the needed strength for the long, stony way I had chosen to go. The tight chain around my heart loosened a bit and I thought about the chain hidden under my coat. That chain woven out of Naruto's golden hair. Suddenly I felt a warmth within me like being struck by the first rays of sunlight. I smiled internally.

"I'll keep this until things between us really are settled." I stated with newfound faith and he nodded.

One day I'll come back for you Naruto, just wait!

 _End of part 2, to be continued..._

*Short for: Killed In Action


End file.
